Jardin Botanico

November 29th 034, originally uploaded by wireframe.

Ryan, Sophia, and I, along with another family from Connecticut, journeyed to the Botanical Garden of Bogotá yesterday. The taxi ride took about half an hour, but only cost the equivalent of five U.S. dollars. Our taxi driver even went out of his way (literally) when the normal entrance to the garden was closed. We were stopped at a busy stop light right next to the normal entrance where there was a map showing the way to the new entrance. None of us could read it from the cab, so our gallant driver jumped out of the car, ran over to the map, studied it for a second, and then scurried back to the cab just as traffic started to move. If you've ever driven in Bogota before, you'll understand the bravery of this man!

We couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day. The sun was very warm, and we were thankful for the shaded areas, like the one in this photo. While I carted our sleepy girl around, taking in the vibrant colors and refreshing aromas of the garden, Ryan was on camera duty. He got some amazing up close floral photos. Between this excursion and our trip to El Catedral de Sal, I think Ryan has found a new hobby in photography.

It was wonderful to be there with another FANA family. Gil, Nick, Mateo, and Alejandro were great company. Four-month-old Alejandro slept just like our little Sophie, and five-year-old Mateo was our "unofficial" guia, or guide. His guided tour always somehow managed to lead us back to the bridges and maze-like areas.

Getting a cab back to our residence was not as easy as getting one from our residence to the garden. At our residence, we just called one to pick us up. At the garden, we had to hail one. Our difficulty obtaining a cab certainly wasn't for lack of taxis. The problem was that the taxis were either full or, or the drivers didn't seem interested in picking up four adults and three children. When a cab finally did stop, I hopped in and told the driver where we needed to go. He replied, "Sorry, I don't have time to take you there." So, I hopped back out and we tried again. Within a couple of minutes, another cab stopped. I made sure to ask him if he had time to take us to our destination. He said, "Of course," and we were on our way. We made it back to El Refugio just in time for a delicious lunch of Bandeja. Bandeja is a very typical Colombian dish of rice, beans, ground beef, fried plantains, avocados, and a whole lot more. Since Ryan's not a fan of avocados, I always get double when they're served. They are definitely my favorite, along with guanabana juice!